Biodegradation and Plasticization of Cellulose Acetate, 1995 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings

H. Cai, R. A. Gross and S. P. McCarthy

University of Massachusetts

The study of low-molecular-weight poly- -caprolactone (PCL) as a plasticizer for cellulose acetate (CA) was investigated. The plasticized CA’s were prepared first by dry blending using a high speed intensity mixer, and then through melt blending either by an internal intensive batch mixer or a twin screw extruder. The melt temperature of CA’s dramatically decreased from 232 to 154°C as plasticizer content was varyed from 20 to 50%. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed the presence of a high temperature transition that related to the plasticizer concentration and a low temperature transition whose position was shifted toward arising Tg of the PCL. The high temperature transition of CA’s with plasticizer content of 0 to 40% closely match the calculated Tg’s from Wood’s equation. Young’s modulus and tensile strength decreased as plasticizer content increased but elongation increased up to a plasticizer content of 40%. PCL-plasticized CA showed a much higher biodegradation rate than DEP-plasticized CA.